Out of Options
by shecallsmeceezy
Summary: Sometimes when you hit rock bottom, you've just got to start digging... Even if that means escaping a federal prison with 3 other inmates. Piper's POV, for now anyways. Rating will vary by chapter. Vauseman.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

"Where do you want to go?"  
"I dont even know anymore..."

Her hands throbbed.  
One singular concious thought.  
Her fingers throbbed, but they were warm.  
No, not warm. They burned. They ached.

Piper blinked rapidly, her eyes focusing on the mess that lay beneath her. She released her grip on Pennsatucky's jacket, watching as her body sunk into the snow, unmoving.

_Oh my god_.

Piper couldnt tell if she'd only thought it, or had actually mustered enough energy for it to escape past her lips. She sat, staring down at her hands. The crimson swirls and streaks stood out in blinding contrast to her cold, pale skin and surrounding snow. One small droplet left her finger tip and as it hit the ground, the thoughts and memories of the past few minutes came flooding back to her.

_Pennsatucky. Healy. Alex. Larry_. Her mind spun out of control.

She clutched her chest. She couldn't breathe. What was she supposed to do? What could she do? It was only a matter of time before someone found them. She looked around frantically. She was at a dead end. There was nowhere to hide, her or Doggett. Her eyes darted back and forth from the figure on the ground to her hands, to the door.

_Healy_.

The air rushed into her lungs.

What was he trying to prove? He left her to die. For what? And what about when he learned of her fate? Or better yet, the lack thereof. She was trapped. Stuck.

"Piper..." The voice that broke the silence was so sweetly familiar. It was the tone that made Piper's stomach turn. It had the same edge of fear and uncertainty as when she was begging her not to leave. Only now, it wasn't muffled, echoed or encased by a steel drum. It carried so easily across the frigid wind, that she initially questioned whether she'd actually heard it. It wasn't until the shadow crossed her, that she took it for reality.

Piper's eyes darted up and she squinted against the harsh light behind the approching figure, trying to focus.  
It only took a second before Alex was kneeling in front of her, her hands cupping her face. She was so warm. Piper closed her eyes and leaned into her touch.

"Piper. Look at me. Are you ok? What the fuck happened?" Piper opened her mouth to speak, but could only turn and look at Pennsatucky. Alex's wild gaze followed hers.

"She... attacked me. Healy..." She paused, the panic written plainly on her face. Her hands started to shake and she cleanched her fist, feeling the skin stretch over her sore knuckles. She welcomed the sensation. She locked eyes with Alex once again. "What am I supposed to do? They're going to send me to SHU." Her voice broke and Alex grabbed her hands.

"They're going to do alot worse than that, kid." She stood and pulled Piper up with her. She swayed, unsteady on her feet. "We've got to go. Now." Alex said as she turned for the door.

Piper laughed. It was such a strange sound. Alien in the current air. It echoed for a moment too long in her own ears. "And _where_ exactly are we supposed to go?"

"Put this on." Alex said, hurriedly shrugging out of her thick brown jacket. "You cant be seen like that." She put it around Piper and zipped it all the way up before she could even get both arms down the sleeves.  
She grabbed the handle of the thick exterior door and took a deep breath before opening it.

Everything moved so fast, but so slow at the same time. It all felt so surreal. Almost dream-like. She couldn't even tell if her feet were hitting the floor. Alex couldve been dragging her down the slick tiled-floor of the hallway towards the dorms for all she knew. But considering the lack of incredulous stares, she assumed that that wasn't the case.

"Jesus, Chapman. You see a ghost or somethin?" Nichols' laugh breached her conciousness, but she didn't answer. She was leaned against the doorway of her bunk, arms crossed. Her laugh was cut short as Alex leaned towards her.

"We've got to go..." Alex's voice was sharp. Rushed.

Nichols straightened abruptly. "Wha... _now_?" Her confusion was not masked well behind clinched teeth. She looked around the room for any prying ears or eyes. Her expression was serious; eyes guarded, her forehead creased with uncertainty. She raised her eyebrows at Alex, even though she knew not to expect an answer. It was during a quick glance over at Piper that her eyes caught a small streak of blood that started on the side of Piper's neck and continued down behind the confines of the rough denim material. "ah... fuck.' Her eyes softened as her body straightened.

"Yeah, now. It's now or never. While everyone is still in the auditorium." There was a brief pause. "Get your shit." and with that, Piper was being dragged towards her bunk.

"Dress warm. Put on anything you have. Extra socks... and wear your boots. I'll be right back." Alex only paused for a moment, her hands on Piper's shoulders, looking down into her eyes. It was her silent promise to return. Then, Just as quickly as she was there, she was gone. Piper looked around, still slightly dazed, but she knew she didn't have much time. She had no idea what Alex had planned, or what Nicky knew about the situation, but judging by the sound of their voices and the looks on their faces, something was definitely about to happen.

After a quick glance over the wall and seeing the guard on duty was deeply interested in whatever was on the pod's comuter screen, she turned to her cabinet. She pulled out her sweats and her extra pair of thermal underwear and tossed them on the bunk, follwed by couple pairings of socks. She turned and glanced once more before she stripped her bloodied khaki shirt off from under the jacket. She stuffed it under the flimsy plastic matress and quickly set to donning the extra clothes she'd laid out. She finished it off with her own denim jacket, throwing Alex's over her arm to give back to her. As if on cue, Alex appeared in her doorway, followed by Nicky. Piper handed her her jacket and she slipped in on quickly. Pausing briefly to close her eyes a take a deep, reassuring breath, She nodded her head towards the door and Piper obeyed. She walked slowly so as not to arise the attention of the guards. Once they were clear of the doorway, She heard Alex whispering to Nichols.

"Connor?"  
"She went to make the call. She'll be there.  
"So this is actually happening then?"  
"Well it definitely seems like it."

The sounds of the Christmas program were still echoing through the hallway. Piper's chest tightened. What she wouldn't give just to be one of the croud. Completely oblivious to the scene that was playing out before her. She felt eyes on her and she looked over at Alex.

"You ok, Pipes?" She could see the worry in her eyes, but she just nodded and hoped that sufficed. She didn't trust her voice at this point. Hell, the only thing she did trust at the moment was the person that was currently leading her down this hallway. She felt the all too familiar warmth as Alex's hand grabbed hers and pulled her to one side of the hallway. She noticed that both Vause and Nichols had their backs against the wall. She followed suit. She could feel the tension. Then, as if out of nowhere, what was happening finally sank in.

The cloudiness that had filled Piper's head seemed to clear for the first time since she'd first seen the cross in the hand of her attacker. The fog she was lost in was now crystal clear. She looked to Alex's face for reassurance. Even in that dim light of the hallway, her skin seemed to glow. Her glasses slid down her nose as she lowered her head. Her hair shielded her face and Piper reached up and pushed it behind her ear. Her eyes rose and locked with hers.

"You ready for this, kid?" She asked as Nichols pushed open the door. The fierce bite of the cold hit Piper's face, but it wasn't the night air that had sent the chill down her spine. It was knowing that after this, there would be no turning back. Things would never be the same. This would be her life. There would be no Larry. No Polly or beautifully scented soaps. What her life consisted of before, would vanish.  
She took one last look at Alex. Her eyes were searching, studying her face. It wouldn't be the first time she'd up and left everything for this woman.

But who was she kidding. The realization was like a swift kick to the gut. This time, it was Alex who was risking everything for her. Her freedom, her safety, her future. For her. For Piper. She had no idea what they would do to her if she stayed. She shivered at the thought. Alex was willing to give up everything, just to ensure her safety. Even if it meant her own life.

Piper squeezed her hand, and watched as Nicky dissapeared out the door and into the night. She turned and followed closely behind.

A/N: I know it's not very long, but I'm still trying to work out the story line. Any and all comments and/or suggestions are appreciated. Let me know what you guys think.

-C


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

The snow was so bright with the moonlight, it was almost blinding. The line of trees in the distance were black and ominous, and Piper had no idea where they were headed.

There were very few things she knew at this exact moment. The first and most pressing was that running in the cold, dead of night wasn't pleasant. The freezing air burnt her lungs and nose. Her toes were numb, making running all the more awkward. She felt the painful chill rise from her ankles and shoot up her legs with every step.

Alex was ahead of her, leading the way. Nicky was behind. She could barely make out their panting over the crunch of snow under their feet.

It was a small flicker of red when it caught Piper's eye. One small bit of movement as it rose to face level and then fell, dissappearing into the darkness. As they neared the fence, it appeared again. The glow intensified and it was then that she could make out a figure. Alex slowed, but still headed in the same direction. The smell of smoke met them, hanging in the dense air, too cold to rise. The red glow appeared again, then spiraled off to the side as Bree Connor flicked the cigarette through the fence. They came to a stop in front of her.

"Change of plans, I see?" she smirked towards Alex, and Piper realized she was talking about her. Alex didn't even turn back, just continued looking through the fence and out into the forrest.

"No change, just a modification." Her eyes turned and made quick survey of each of them.

"Well, as much as I would like to sit here and discuss this over tea, ladies... We've got a prison to escape." Nicky made her way past them and to the fence. She leaned down and brushed some of the snow out of the way. Piper leaned around Alex to watch. Nichols grabbed one of the links at the bottom and tugged. What had looked like just another link in the fence, easily gave way and opened up to a hole. Small, but big enough for a person to squeeze through. Piper's mouth fell open as she scoffed.

"Wh... How long has this been here?"

Conner turned towards her, folding her arms across her chest. Piper had seen her around fairly often the past few weeks, though she had no idea how long she'd been here. Her short, light colored hair was speckled with snow, but she wasn't even wearing her jacket. Just her thermals and her sweats from what Piper could make out in the darkness. She didn't know how she wasn't freezing. "I've been working on it for a few months...no thanks to you. You and that fucking chicken just about ruined it."

_The chicken... _it all made sense now. Piper had racked her brain, hell, even questioned her sanity about that chicken. After a few weeks, she had to just convince herself that she'd just imagined it. It was no wonder why some people went crazy in prison. _I'm not crazy._

"Well, that veridict is still out." Nicky snipped before dropping to the ground and crawling through the hole. Piper didn't even realise that she'd said it aloud. Alex turned and locked eyes with her while Conner was following Nicky's lead. She said nothing, but she didn't really have to. Piper knew her well enough to read her without words. But what she saw scared her. She could still see the hurt in her eyes that she'd seen the day that Alex had cut her off. Anger. Fear. But there was something else. Determination, maybe? She dropped her gaze when she went to push her glasses up her nose. She took a deep breath and turned towards the fence.

It felt like hours before anyone said a word. The only relief to the silence was the occasional call from an owl paired with four sets of feet sloshing through the snow and ice. Occasionally someone would step on a small limb and the crack it would make as it gave way would be almost deafening. They had only been about half an hour outside of the perimeter when they had heard the alarm ring out. They had all stopped dead in their tracks and turned to one another. They each nodded, a silent vow to each other. There was no turning back now. They had known would be no turning back the moment they crossed through that fence. That had felt like an ethernity ago.

Alex had managed to avoid all eye contact with her. Even when Piper quickened her pace and reach out and touch her arm, trying to get her to turn to her, she would tense and pull away as if she were being burned. Finally after the 4th or 5th attempt, Alex came to a hault and turned on her, taking Piper by surprise. She dropped her arm quickly.

"_Yes_?" The severity of her tone caused the other two to stop and turn towards them. Piper looked nervously between each of their faces. The tension radiated between them. Alex's eyebrows were raised in that manner that made Piper feel like a scolded child. Just seeing that expression angered her. Alex dipped her head and shrugged, palms up, willing for her to speak. Piper searched her face. She couldn't remember a time when she had ever been on the recieving end of that look.

Bree took a step towards them, breaking the silence.

"We'll be there shortly. How about not killing each other until we can atleast get out of this fucking cold." She said firmly, her eyes bouncing between them. Piper started to protest, but Nichols cut her off.

"And where is _there_, exactly?" She folded her arms. Whether it was against the cold or out of tired frustration, Piper wasn't sure.

"Cooperstown. It's only for a few hours. A day, max. But we'll be able to get some sleep until were able to hit the highway." She rubbed her palms together and blew into her cupped hands, trying to ward off the cold.

"The way I figure, is they're probably expecting us to go North. Head to Canada. So, assuming that they even take the chance of tainting their _perfect_ repuation with the news of four excaped convicts, they'll probably send out parties to Utica and Mohawk for starters, seeing as they're both on major highways and are pretty sizeable areas. Then they'll probably head towards Rome and Syracuse. Bus stations, airports... It wouldnt surprise me if they were already combing through some of them." Nichols shrugged and gave a nod, seemingly satisfied.

The sky had just started to lighten into streaks of pinks and violets when they broke the treeline that opened up to a parking lot that was situated behind an aged, single-story, yellow building. There were a few cars scattered sparingly throughout the spaces, and one of the windows aligned down the side of the building flickered with the light from a TV, no longer watched by its sleeping inhabitant. Piper's heart was in her throat as they passed the doors. The peeling gold number on the door told her that they had stopped in front of room number 8. They stood silent as Conner reached out and nervously tried the door knob. Her eyes were closed, shoulders tensed. Her sigh of relief as the door opened spoke for all of them. Alex looked at her in disbelief.

She shrugged dismissively. "I know people." And with that, stepped into the room. Nicky laughed and shook her head, following closely behind.

It definitely wasn't anything spectacular. Two double beds, yellowed bedside lamps and a stain of questionable orgins on the geometric carpet outside of the dimly-lit bathroom doorway. But it was the Ritz as far as they were concerned. Piper took a deep breath and held it in. The warm air smelled of dust and stale cigarettes and it was fucking beautiful. She knew she was grinning like an idiot, and couldn't have cared less. Alex turned and shut the door behind them and slid the chain into the tray of the lock.

It was Nicky's unexpected squeal of excitement that just about made them jump out of their skin. She ran and launched herself onto the closest bed, just about falling off the other side. She buried her face in the pillows and took a long and dramatic breath in.

"Jesus _fucking_ Christ..." She exhaled and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before she laughed, sat up, and raised her eyebrows at the others. "Dont act like you didn't want to do the same thing."

Alex made her way into the bathroom as Bree turned on the television and climbed onto the bed next to Nicky. Piper was still trying to let the reality of it all sit in. She still wasn't completley sure if she was awake or not. So many things had transpired during the last 24 hours, that she was barely able to make sense of it all.

"Stop trying to compartmentalize. You need to get some rest." Alex had walked out of the bathroom and sat on the edge of the second bed. She looked up at Piper as she leaned down to untie her boots. One corner of her mouth raised in what someone else would consider an attempt at a smile, but Piper knew better. She pushed her glasses up to rest on top of her head as she slid off her jacket and outer layer of khaki. She pushed the sleeves of her grey sweats up to her elbows and then climbed under the blankets. Piper watched her, still trying to work up the brain power to walk.

"Come on Chapman, don't ruin it. Get excited." Piper couldnt even distinguish the voice through the fog of her thoughts.

She smiled, distracted and walked over to the same bed as Alex. She stripped down to her sweat pants and thermal shirt and climbed in under the covers. The pillow was cool against her face, but she could already feel Alex's body heat radiating under the sheets. She was laying facing her, eyes closed and Piper enetertained the fleeting thought that she'd already drifted off to sleep. She studied her face. Her nose and cheeks were still flushed from the wind. Her pulse thumped heavily in her neck, just below her jaw. The same spot that Piper had kissed a thousand times. She saw the muscles in her jaw tighten, and it was then that she realized that Alex could feel her staring and was fighting the urge to open her eyes. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the smooth skin of her arm, and without a glance, Alex rolled over, putting her back towards her.

Piper's chest tightened as she tried to fight off the stinging sensation in her eyes.

And for one brief, fleeting moment, she'd wished that she was back in the comfort of her own bunk.

**A/N: Again, it's not a huge chapter, but I'm getting there. I appreciate the reviews and all the follows, I definitely consider it encouragement. You guys are the fuel to my fire. Thanks again for reading.**

**-C**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_**Familiar hands wrapped around her neck, she couldn't speak. **_

_**Couldn't breathe. **_

_**She was over her, on top of her. **_

_**Pinning her down. **_

_**She pushed and shoved as hard as she could, but her arms were weak and unresponsive. **_

_**Dark hair fell into her face as she struggled. **_

_**She did everything she could to break her grip, her vision was starting to fade. **_

_**A..Alex... please...stop. She breathed out between gasps. Her body heaved one last attempt. **_

_**Al..ex... **_

"_Piper_!"

She was being shaken. She felt hands on her. She tried to pull away, but the arms that the hands were attached to, encircled her.

"Piper, wake up." She could feel her breath on the back of her neck as she spoke. "It's ok... You're ok. You're safe." She could feel her chest rise and fall against her back with every breath she took. She didn't know where she was but she knew she was sitting up. The room was pitch black, but she knew without looking that Alex was behind her. She'd know her body anywhere. She felt her relax as soon as she realized that she was awake and out of the nightmare. Piper sunk back into her welcoming warmth, exhausted. So many times, she'd taken it for granted. Now, it was what she craved. What she needed. She closed her eyes and relished in the feeling.

It was at that moment, she hated the fact that Alex knew her so well. She felt her whole body tense and start to pull away.

"Can you just forget about the fact that you hate me for two seconds and just _be_?" Even as a whisper, Piper felt like it echoed through the room. She heard Alex sigh behind her, the heat from her breath sending a sensation down her spine. She felt it in her toes. She always did with her. Piper found her hand in the darkness and entwined their fingers together. Alex gave in and reclined, resting her back against the cheap faux-wood headboard. It creaked against her weight.

"I don't hate you, Piper." As she said it, the sound resonated through her chest and Piper could feel the vibration against her shoulder blades. "I hate how selfish you can be, yes. I hate how sometimes, the only person that exists in your world... is you. I hate how fucking stubborn you are when it comes to admitting that you're afraid of being alone." She took in a deep breath, weighing her words. "But most of all, I hate the fact that no matter how much I hate some of the things you do, no matter how many times you make me feel like I'm not good enough, I can't fucking hate you. Sometimes I think I do... But I just... cant. And it drives me fucking crazy."

Piper drew in a shaky breath as she felt Alex's head rest against hers. She knew that this didn't mean that they were ok, but she would definitely take it over the cold silence they had been coexisting in. This, she could work with. She lifted their hands and pressed her lips against Alex's knuckles, sucking in a quick breath when she bumped the gash on her hand.

"You ok?" Alex asked, feeling Piper's body tense.

"I think so... my hand. Doggett cut me before... " The words stuck in her throat. The realization of what had transpired the night before starting sinking in. What had she done? She'd never reached that point before. She didn't even recognize the person in her memories.

Bile and panic began to rise in her throat and she'd barely made it to the bathroom before it erupted. She heaved until she was exhausted, her body trying to expel whatever it was that had caused her to do the things she'd seen in her memory. She wasn't a fighter. At least she had never been before. _I wasn't fighting... I was surviving_. She tried to quell her racing mind. Her head spun and she wearily rested her cheek on the brim of the toilet seat.

"Ah, kid. Don't do that..." She felt Alex's arms slide under hers as he helped her to her feet and led her over to the sink. "Do you wanna talk about it?" She rubbed her back gently as Piper splashed water on her face and rinsed out her mouth. The water tasted different. Better. She gulped down a few swallows from the faucet before she braced her arms on the counter and took a deep, steadying breath. She locked eyes with herself in the mirror

"I walked outside to get some air. I felt like I was about to have a mental fucking breakdown with everything that's been going on. Then _she_ was there. Ranting."

_Cause you ain't worthy of God's love. You ain't worthy of nobody's love._

The words echoed in her mind. Her chest tightened and she felt like she was going to be sick again. "She said she was going to smite me. That no one could love me. That I wasn't worthy of love. And... and I just snapped. Everything that's been building up... With you, with Larry. With fucking Healy... I mean, he just left me there to die..."

"Wait a minute," Alex interrupted. "_Healy_ was there?" Piper ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back from her face, before finally turning and looking up at her.

"Yeah. He came outside and I tried shouting for him and he just turned and left."

"Could he hear you?"

"Yes, he could hear me, Alex. He knew exactly what was going on. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me if he'd set the whole thing up."

"_Motherfucker..._" Alex shook her head and pushed her glasses up before rubbing at her eyes. "Let me see your hand." Piper brought her right hand up. Most of the blood had dried and worn off, but there was a fresh new streak where she had disturbed it in her sleep.

"I guess scars are hot though, right?" Piper attempted a smile as Alex inspected it closely in the light.

"Yes, but staph isn't."

The next time Piper awoke, it was to Nicky jumping up and down on their bed, showering them with bags of chips and candy bars. "Merry Christmas, bitches!" She laughed and jumped the gap between the beds, pegging Bree in the back of the head with a KitKat. She mumbled something incoherently into the pillow before pulling the cover protectively over her head. Piper burrowed closer in under Alex's arm. After the episode in the bathroom, they'd finally made their way back to bed and were able to get a bit more sleep before sunrise. Nicky sat down on the bed and tore into one of her spoils.

_It was Christmas_.

For a brief second, her mind had forgotten reality and she had the urge to call her mother and wish her a happy holiday.

_And say what? 'Hi mom! The feds may be calling you shortly, but just to let you know I'm out and ok! Yes, I'm eating. And yes, I'm aware that my anatomical clock is ticking. But it's ok. I don't need them anyways, since I've escaped prison with my lesbian lover.' _

Had Piper's eyes been open, she would've rolled them. _Fuck_. Not that they'd really had a lot of time to discuss specifics, but what did this mean about contact. She assumed that it would have to be sporadic... and from some form of communication that couldn't lead anyone to their location. She wondered if anyone from the jail had contacted any of their relatives to deliver the news. Bree's comment about _if_ they would even make an official report about it crossed her mind. Surely they would have to. After all, it was the Federal Government...

_Hah... exactly._

She stretched and rolled away from Alex's still sleeping body, immediately missing the warmth. She knew it'd take a healthy dose of caffeine to coax her out of bed this early, especially considering their mid-slumber interruption. She caught sight of the small coffee pot on the counter outside of the bathroom and was able to convince her aching body to make the transition out of bed. She glanced at the bedside clock. It was four in the afternoon. Just after afternoon count. She smirked at the thought of them counting and recounting. Repeatedly coming up 4 short.

The smell of the coffee as the carafe slowly filled was heavenly. A person could go their entire life never truly appreciating a simple beauty in life, like good coffee, until you spend months or years heating instant coffee in a community microwave that, as Big Boo had so delicately put it, "_smells like a salmon farted in it_."

She fixed Alex a cup and set it on the side table, then repeated the gesture for Nichols and Conner. Nicky smiled her thanks and flipped on the small television. There were only a few stations that came in clearly, two of which seemed to be the same station on different channels. She shrugged and decided on the nearest local channel.

Piper slid onto the bed, careful not to spill her coffee and got comfortable against the headboard. Alex mumbled something unintelligible and scooted closer, laying her head in Piper's lap, eyes still closed and hair covering the side of her face that would've been exposed. Piper smiled a brief smile and ran her fingers through Alex's hair.

"So what's the plan? Or is there one really? I know Bree said that we'd only be here for a day..." Piper asked, taking a sip of her coffee. Nicky kind of shrugged, a worried look crossing her features.

"Honestly, I don't know. We weren't expecting to be jumping into it so soon. We've discussed it before, but we never agreed on a solid decision."

"I'm sorry, Nick.." She started, but Nicky cut her off.

"No, no. Don't do that. We all wanted out of there. And sooner is definitely better than later. We'll figure something out. Besides, I'm just along for the ride." She gave Piper her signature smirk and turned back to the TV.

Piper continued to absentmindedly play with Alex's hair, occasionally running her fingers softly down the side of her face. She used to do it long ago, on the nights she couldn't sleep, after Alex had worked herself to exhaustion and would come crashing into bed, barely hitting the pillow before passing out.

It felt like it had been so long since she'd been able just to sit and look at her. The tips of her eyelashes resting on top of her cheeks. Fluttering every now and again as whatever dream she was having played out in a world only she could see. Her lips slightly parted in her relaxed state. Piper didn't have to touch them to know how soft they were. She knew all too well how they felt. She missed them. She missed Alex. This woman in her lap had been a mere memory in her life for so long. A memory that she had buried so well. Piper knew that she had never completely lost her feelings for her. She'd just gotten used to ignoring them. Out of sight, out of mind. It didn't take long after seeing her again for her to realize that those feelings had just been hibernating in the recesses of her mind. Somehow she'd always known that she hadn't seen the last of Alex Vause. She just didn't expect seeing her again to be under such drastic, and unexpected, circumstances.

"I forgot what it felt like to shower barefooted." Bree walked out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. "Not to mention having an actual door."

"That you didn't even close." Nicky laughed and stood from the bed, ready to take her turn in the shower.

"Baby steps, Ma. Not like _you're_ complaining." She made a sarcastic face and laughed as Nicky smacked her ass as she walked by.

After she'd finally managed to crawl out of bed, Bree had made a few phone calls to some of the people that Piper assumed she'd been working with on the whole escape plan. From the side of the conversation she could hear, she could tell that none of them expected things to be falling into play this soon. She felt a pang of guilt when she realized that it was because of her that things were being rushed. But after a few conversations, they'd finally arranged for a ride to somewhere a bit more densely populated. Somewhere they wouldn't be so easily found.

"We're going to Philadelphia?" Piper found herself somewhat excited. She'd only been to the city once or twice, both times just passing through, but they were always decent experiences.

"The City that Never Sleeps, huh?" Nicky asked, flipping through the channels again. Bree snorted out a laugh.

"That's New York City, Nick." Alex called from the bathroom, the humor audible in her voice.

"What do I look like, a fuckin geography major over here?" Piper attempted to hide her smile behind her third cup of coffee.

A short while later, Alex emerged from the bathroom wearing only her bra and her grey sweatpants. They sat low on her hips and Piper's eyes drank her in as she walked towards the bed. Piper didn't notice that she was biting her lip until she heard Alex clear her throat. She looked up and was met with a single raised eyebrow. She dropped her gaze. She could feel her cheeks burn and she hated that Alex got the satisfaction of seeing it. She sat her now cool cup of coffee on the table before standing and grabbing one of the extra towels they'd taken off of the maids cart that had been parked in front of the room next to theirs. She smirked as she walked past her, never meeting her gaze.

Yet another thing Piper silently decided not to ever take for granted again: Clean, hot showers. She stood there, the water turned up as hot as she could stand it, eyes closed and head back. She enjoyed the feeling of it as it ignited her skin, melting away the grime and filth that felt like it had accumulated on her body over the past few months. Like some sort of putrid shell she'd been forced to inhabit, never able to completely scrub off in the luke warm water of the prison's very public showers. She didn't think she would ever experience what it felt like to be truly clean again.

Finally, she shut off the water and rung out her hair before pulling back the shower curtain. She jumped, startled, as Alex was standing in front of the sink, using the mirror to comb out her hair.

"Jesus, Alex..." Piper tried without success to cover herself with the hotel issue miniature towel. Alex laughed, turning and looking her up and down.

"Relax, Pipes... It's not like I haven't seen it before" She turned back to the mirror and Piper stepped carefully out of the shower. Reaching for another towel to use to dry her hair. After she was through, she tossed it over the rod to dry and walked over to the sink. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, then over to Alex's.

"For what it's worth... I know how much you've risked, and what you've stuck out on the line... I just want to tell you tha..."

"You don't have to thank me, Piper." She turned to face her, leaning against the sink. She looked at her for a moment and brought her hand up, pushing a thick strand of her wet hair behind her ear. "The way I see it..." she thought for a second before continuing. "You were in a situation. And considering the circumstances, there were no other options. I can only imagine what would've happened if you would've gotten caught... And I... I couldn't have just sat back and let that happen to you..." She paused, reaching out and grabbing Piper's hand. She laced their fingers together. "I heart you, kid." Piper let the words filter through her brain. When she looked up at her, she was given a half smile, but she could see the emotion in her eyes. She gave her a soft, reassuring smile in return.

"I heart you too... you pussy."

**A/N: I really hope you all are enjoying it so far! Thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites! They're my motivation! Thank you all for reading and dont forget to let me know what you think!**

**-C**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Night had already fallen when the black expedition had pulled up behind the hotel and killed the lights. The old box phone between the beds had rang once, announcing it's arrival, and with a quick glance between the blinds, they filed out of the room. They nervously surveyed the parking lot, eyes darting about wildly as they made their way.

It didn't take long for reality to catch up to them. They'd all been looking at the TV the moment their four faces had covered the screen. Time had stood still. Each picture was accompanied by their given names and what they were charged with. They'd labeled them 'possibly armed and extremely dangerous' before bringing special attention to Piper's picture, adding that she was also now wanted on the grounds of Aggravated Assault.

A wave of relief washed over her and she smiled, mouth open at the TV. "Assault! It's just assault!" She turned and caught Alex's amused expression. "Not Manslaughter."

Nicky's brow creased. "Jesus, Chapman... I didn't think you had it in you. I guess that explains the blood. Pennsatucky?" Piper just nodded, her smile fading.

"She had it coming." Alex rubbed Piper's back, a small attempt at comfort, though her words were directed at Nichols. She took the hint.

"Nice picture, by the way."

Piper laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Fucking Mendez."

It only took a little over 4 hours for them to make it to Philly. Traffic was surprisingly light, which made for good time, but each time they would pass a patrol car, all conversation would halt until they were certain they were in the clear. Alex's arm was draped across the back of the rear seat and Piper was pressed comfortably into her side, her head rested on Alex's shoulder.

"So, Charlie..." She started, and the driver they'd be quickly introduced to earlier, looked up at her in the rearview mirror. "What do you do when you're not harboring and transporting wanted fugitives?" She stifled a yawn into her fist. Car rides always drained her.

"Well, funny enough, I'm a P.O." His eyebrows quirked up, and she could tell by his eyes that he was smiling. Nicky just looked between Alex and the driver nervously. Alex just shrugged, careful not to disturb Pipers perch on her shoulder.

"You're a Parole Officer?"

"Yeah, that's how we met" Bree laughed from the front seat, playfully slapping Charlie on the arm. "So where we headed?" She asked, taking a quick survey of the surrounding area.

"Theres a Holiday Inn Express in Penn's Landing...right over by The Ben Franklin Bridge. Pretty quiet, but plenty of ways out. It's nice." He explained, taking a turn down one of the side streets. "By the way, I think you'll find the bag in the back helpful." Alex took a quick glance back towards the back hatch door. She spotted the plain black duffelbag shoved over in the corner with a pair of tennis shoes, a few empty water bottles and a gym towel. She knew that to most people, that would be a convincing disguise... but to someone like her. It was her job to come up with those convincing disguises...

Had been. she thought to herself. But then again, just because you get out of the game, didn't mean you ever really got it out of you. It had to become a part of who you are. Those who didn't fuse it into the deepest parts of their being never lasted very long before being caught.

"If it were really a gym bag, the gym gear would be inside it. Would it not?" Piper smirked up at her, knowing exactly the thoughts she had been milling around in that head of hers. Alex raised her eyebrows, pleasantly surprised.

"Well it sounds like someone has taught you well, young grasshopper." She smiled when Piper winked up at her, nudging her with her shoulder. They locked eyes for a beat too long and Piper broke the spell, dropping her gaze and pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear.

It was just after midnight when they pulled up in front of the hotel. Blue spotlights illuminated the southern side of the building giving the brick accents a more modern feel. Charlie parked off to the side, but left the truck running. He disappeared past the automatic door. A few minutes later, he returned and handed Bree a small envelope. "You ladies are covered for a few days. I'll be in touch and we'll figure out the next step. Don't do anything stupid before then." He gave her a small smile and she nodded, turning and opening the door. They said their thanks, grabbed the few things they had and climbed out, stretching their sore limbs. Bree grabbed the bag out of the back and put the strap over her shoulder.

They'd all had the thought to dump their khakis back in Cooperstown. They had their sweats, so there was no need in risking the added attention of those tell-tale uniforms.

According to the back of the small envelope, they were going to be staying on the tenth floor. They walked silently through the nicely decorated lobby, jumping slightly when the front desk attendant greeted them cheerfully. Piper smiled back at her, trying to act nonchalant. The golds, browns and beiges all gave the hotel a very comfortable feel.

The two queen size beds were situated across from a modern style dresser that held the large flat screen TV. The white sheets and pillows standing crisp against the dark wooden headboards. It was definitely an upgrade from the last hotel.

"Yeeeeaaaahhhhh" Nicky danced into the room, the most ridiculous look of happiness on her face. Piper laughed out loud as she walked over to the window. She pulled back the curtains and absorbed the beauty of the view. Alex came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her, resting her chin on her shoulder. The hotel was situated just near the western foot of Benjamin Franklin bridge. The blue mass of iron and steel stood out brilliantly against the New Jersey skyline. The lights from the neighboring marinas reflected off the gentle waves of the river and reminded Piper of one of the beautiful bridges they'd stayed near on one of their trips to Thailand. It's giant support wires shooting up into the night sky, the lights from which illuminated everything around them. It had truly been breathtaking.

_**"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Alex's sultry voice brushed her ears as she wrapped her arms around her from behind. She felt her lips on her shoulder, her neck. "I knew you'd love it."**_

_**"You've been here before?" Piper whispered, turning her face towards her. She felt Alex's hands slide under the edge of her shirt, then up over her ribs.**_

_**"Honey, there's very few places I haven't been."As she said it, her hands made their way under Pipers bra. Piper closed her eyes allowing her head to fall back against Alex's shoulder.**_

_**They'd never made it to the bed. Alex's fingers had worked their magic with them standing there in front of that window. Pipers arms bracing herself against the glass.**_

Piper shivered, remembering the feeling of Alex's arms holding her up as her knees had lost all ability to support her, and judging by the low noise that Alex made in her throat, Piper wasn't the only one reminiscing on that particular memory...

**A\N: I'm sorry guys, things have been super busy around here lately, so I haven't been able to write and upload as much as I was hoping to be able to. I'm off of work today though, so I'm hoping be able to finish another chapter later. Again, thank you for all the reviews/follows/favorites! You're awesome. Let me know your thoughts!**

**-C**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_**You were kind enough to say hello,**_

_**I figured I could at least say goodbye.**_

_**I was thinkin' about telling you that I was in love with her.**_

_**I'm still in love with her.**_

_**So take this photograph**_

_**and I'll take this empty frame.**_

_**I wont be coming back,**_

_**you're not the one to blame.**_

_**Wait, wait. Wait.**_

_**Let me set the record straight.**_

_**I was never really yours in the first place.**_

_**There's no place I'd rather be than home.**_

_**With her beside me, I'm home.**_

* * *

Piper slid out of the backseat of the taxi, handing the driver the cash for her fare. She straightened and wiped her sweaty palms on the pockets of her jeans. She studied her reflection in a nearby shop window. Seeing herself in regular clothes was so strange now. She felt out of her element. Yesterday was harder than any of them would like to admit, trying to pick out clothes with the money that Charlie had left for them in the dufflebag. Though the feeling of relief she'd experienced with finally throwing those god-awful 'granny-panties' in the trash had been magnificent. She smiled to herself as she turned to make her way down the sidewalk.

She was on a mission. There was a reason she had taken a 25 minute cab ride from the hotel. Alone.

She had seen the anger overtake Alex's face when she'd announced that she wanted to call Larry.  
"Alex, it's not what you think." She'd protested. "I know he'll pass the word that I'm OK. He'll call my mother and Polly. I don't think I could handle dealing with that right now."

"And the second he remembers that you're with me? Who else will he tell? Don't be fucking stupid, Piper. You know he'd turn the cops on me in a half-second if it meant getting you away from me." Alex pushed her glasses up to rest on top of her head.

"And what? Risk me getting caught too and sent away with more time? Larry can do a lot of stupid shit, but I don't see him putting me in danger."

"Oh, you mean like making a public national broadcast of how you feel and what you think about every fucking person you're locked up with? Labeling them murderers or shining them in a negative light. He could've gotten you fucking killed, Piper!" Piper knew that she couldn't argue that. Larry had a tendency to be extremely naive, sometimes to a fault.

"Come on, Alex... It'll be fine. We're leaving here soon, anyway. I'll stay in control of the conversation and I'll hang up at the first sign of opposition." Alex sighed and glared into her eyes, knowing she'd already set her mind to it.

A fairly quick internet search on the hotel lobby's public computer had given her a list of the addresses for the few remaining pay phones in the city. She jotted down the address of the one that was the furthest away from their hotel. She was already taking a chance with making the call, she didn't want to bring the feds right to their door stop.

Alex became just as angry again when Piper had informed her that she was going alone.

Before she could even voice her protest, Piper had cut her off.

"No, don't even start. I'm not going to put any of you at risk. You've already risked everything for me, I can't ask you to do it again. I'll go straight there, make the call, then come straight back. Easy peasy." She tried to give Alex a reassuring smile, but deep down she knew it didn't matter. She knew that Alex would begin pacing the moment that she stepped out of the door and probably wouldn't stop until she returned.

She stood in front of the large, seemingly prehistoric phone. She was actually surprised there were still any left in the city. Since cell phones were so commonplace now, the only people she associated pay phones with were the Hollywood portrayed drug dealers and people running from the law. She laughed and rolled her eyes at the irony of it. Never in a million years did she ever see herself in a situation like the one she was currently navigating.

This. This was not her life. This wasn't what all those bedtime stories she'd been read growing up had promised. Her parents had never warned her about the possibility of her life turning out like this. No class in high school or college prepared her for this. No one is ever made aware of how your life could actually turn out. Throughout childhood, you're surrounded by nothing but fairy tales with happy endings that you try to bring with you as you grow up. You see all these horrible things on TV or in passing, but rest easily in the comfortable confines of your own ignorance, knowing that something like that could never happen to you. Never taking in consideration that for someone out there, that is their reality. That is their life. Their existence.

Somewhere out there, at that very moment, there was a little blonde haired girl, all ready for bed in her princess PJ's, listening in awe as her daddy reads her a fantastic story about finding her prince charming and sunsets and happiness. No one dares to entertain the thought that in a little over ten years, daddy's little princess gets mixed in with the wrong kids because she has a crush on a boy that she knows daddy wont approve of. Next thing you know, you're looking at your daughter through the metal bars of a jail cell, giving her an ultimatum of your acceptance while she tries to hide the track marks on the insides of her arms. But no one considers that because those types of things don't happen in real life.

None of the stories she'd remembered hearing ever involved going to prison, escaping and living the rest of your life on the run...

She didn't remember dialing the number, so when she heard the phone ring, she jumped. Her heart pounded in her chest, harder with every ring that sounded in the headset. She was about to hang up when she heard the click as the other end of the phone line was opened.

"Hello?" His voice was groggy sounding. Like how it sounded when he hadn't been getting much sleep, rather than having just woke up. Piper fought away the feeling of guilt that filled her. "_Hello_?" He answered again, growing impatient.

"L... Larry, it's me." Tears stung her eyes. The familiarity of his voice had caused her chest to tighten.

"Piper? Piper, is that you?!" he was immediately more alert. "Are you ok? Where are you?"

She nodded her head, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "Yes, I'm ok. I'm fine. I'm safe."

"Jesus _Christ_, Piper! What the fuck were you thinking? The FBI has been coming by here and calling me every day. They keep asking me questions about who you know or where you could've went." His voice was sharper now. She knew him well enough to know that his hands were all over the place. He'd always talked with his hands when he was excited or upset.

"The FBI?"

"Yeah, the fucking FBI. You escaped from a _federal_ prison, Piper. What did you expect?" Piper wasn't really sure what she'd been expecting. Everything was still in the process of sinking in. "They told me that you were with her."

_Well, that didn't take long_. She rolled her eyes. "Larry, don't start. I was calling to let you know I was OK. I'm sure Polly and mom have been worried."

"Is this _really_ what you want Piper?" His voice was growing more angry. She could tell he'd been doing his best to hold all of this in.

"What are you talking about, Larry?" Piper said, exasperated. This was not how she was hoping this conversation would go. She turned and leaned against the side of the building.

"_Her_. Are you really in love with her?"

"Larry, I told you that I was in love with her. And to be honest, I don't think I ever _stopped_ loving her. I'm sorry that I hurt you, you didn't deserve that and it was never my intention. It's only been lately that I've began to realize a lot of things about my life. But I can't change how I feel. It's not because of anything you've done, you're not to blame in all this."

"I should've fucking known. I should've just ended things the minute I found out she was in there with you. I _knew_ this was going to happen, Piper." The severity of his voice caught her off guard. She started to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. "_No, Piper_. No, I don't want your fucking excuses or your _pity me_ fucking attitude." He growled.

Piper's mouth fell open.

"_Excuse me_?" She stood up off the wall. She could feel the anger and adrenaline coarse through her.

"You heard me, Pipes. I'm sick and tired of playing the part of the understanding fiance. I'm done." She waited. She knew he wasn't through. He only paused for a beat and she had the quick thought that he'd probably recited these exact words to himself in the mirror plenty of times before tonight. "Don't even think about calling me in a week, begging to come home."

She laughed into the phone. She knew the sound would stick under his skin.

"I _am_ home." She said calmly. He started talking, but she didn't even care to distinguish the words.  
"Goodbye, Larry."

She calmly sat the phone back into the metallic cradle, hearing her change drop into the reservoir. It'd went exactly as she suspected it would. But she'd accomplished what she'd set out to do. She'd known he would get upset. But she also knew that after the initial hurt wore off, he would in fact pass the word to her mother and best friend that she was safe.

She stepped out from under the awning of the shop and looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, the stars barely visible through the light radiating from the city. She knew she needed to get back to the hotel. It was strange not being with the others. This was the first time in months, since before she went to prison, that she was legitimately alone. For some reason she couldn't figure out, that made her uncomfortable.

When she arrived back to the hotel room, Alex wasn't there. Nicky and Bree were lying in bed, watching reruns of The Nanny and eating on the leftover Chinese food they'd ordered earlier that day. Nicky said that she'd went for a walk and that she'd mentioned checking out the marina in passing. She thanked her, then turned and left again.

She found her standing under one of the far lights that lined the dock, the collar of her jacket pulled up, protecting her from the cool wind blowing up off the water. Her long, raven hair flowed around her face. Piper smiled and vowed to save that picture of her in her mind. Alex turned just as she was walking up, hearing her approaching footsteps on the wooden planks, and smiled, only half her mouth turning up. Her eyes lingered on her lips before making their way up to her eyes.

"So how'd it go?" Alex asked, reaching up and adjusting her glasses before nodding her head towards the dock, an invitation to walk with her.

Piper fell into step beside her. "Exactly as I'd expected and the opposite as I'd hoped. I told him I was safe, he said he was done. I told him that I was in love with you, he told me not to come home. I told him I was home... then I said goodbye." She noticed Alex's glance down at her, but she didn't reply.

They continued walking in silence. The only noise was the gentle lapping of the waves against the bottom of the boats, swaying them back and forth. It was peaceful. It was perfect.

Piper felt fingers brush hers, and she looked down and smiled as Alex took her hand in her own. They walked together, enjoying the cool breeze on their faces. A few minutes later, Piper slowed and tugged on her hand, directing her attention towards one of the boats. The white, cursive letters stood out easily against the dark blue paint of the boat.

"The Great Escape" Alex read and smiled.

Piper felt a chill rise up her spine and she shuddered, immediately regretting her decision to forego her jacket. The air had been warmer earlier, when she'd left to call Larry. Now the wind was blowing straight off the Delaware River. She could feel Alex's eyes on her and she slowed to a stop in the shadowed area between two of the flood lights. She opened up her jacket, and Piper glanced up at her face before stepping into it's welcoming warmth. She wrapped her arms around Alex's waist and breathed her in, her head against her chest. She relished in the way her heat radiated through her shirt and before she'd realized what she was doing, she'd snaked her cold hands up the back of Alex's shirt and softly traced them down her back. She started at her shoulder blades, feeling them shift under the soft skin there, then moving down, feeling each vertebrae in her spine until they disappeared down into the waistband of her jeans.

She felt Alex drag in a shaky breath through her clenched teeth. Piper enjoyed the feeling it gave her as she felt the chill bumps rise on Alex's soft skin and she smiled to herself. She slid her fingers back down, low on her back, then around to that small spot on Alex's stomach she knew would get just the reaction she was going for. She felt the muscles involuntarily twitch under the skin and it made her feel good to know that she still knew her body so well. She felt Alex's arms tighten around her and she took the opportunity to slide her fingertips across her hipbones, over the sensitive skin just below her stomach, taking the time to deliberately dip just a little too low.

"Pipes..." She felt, rather than heard, her growl out. Her voice was low and it set Piper's insides ablaze. She could feel her heart pounding against her cheek. This time, when she brought her hands down her back again, she did it with her nails. Dragging them down her skin. She felt her back arch and that was all it took.

Piper pulled away and grabbed her by the hand, almost dragging her back down the dock.

Alex's mind was still reeling when they entered the lobby of the hotel. She was about to remind Piper that Nicky and Bree were up in the room when Piper led her past the elevator. She continued until they arrived at the last door in the hallway. Alex was grinning like a fool as Piper pulled her into the stairwell, not even waiting for the door to close before she pushed Alex against the wall, her hands making their way up her shirt.

"You know," Alex started as Piper broke their kiss to pull Alex's shirt over her head. "I'm really diggin' this new, aggressive Piper." She smirked, removing her glasses and tossing them on top of her discarded shirt. "She's really fuckin' hot." She smiled before Piper's mouth was on hers again. Her fingers wound into her hair, pulling her mouth down to meet her.

"Alex."

"Mm?"

"Shut up."

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so this chapter is heavily influenced by the song that I posted at the beginning. For those who are curious, it's called Photographs and Gasoline by Framing Hanley. It came on while I was writing the previous chapter and I just thought it fit Larry and Piper's situation nicely. Plus, it kinda set the tone for the phone call that I was looking for. Anyhow! I hope you enjoyed it. Please, let me know what you think about how things are going. Your comments are my motivation. Thank you again for reading and I'll post more soon.**

**-C**


	6. Chapter 6

Before she even opened her eyes, Piper felt hands on her. On her breast, sliding down her stomach, on her hips. She was laying on her side, Alex against her back. She could feel lips in her hair, her warm breath trailing down the back of her neck. She shifted further back into her embrace, suggestively rolling her hips and feeling Alex smile into her hair.

"Well, good morning..." She said, her voice low and throaty. Pipers stomach fluttered and she reached down, rubbing her hand down the top of Alex's thigh.

"Mmm... good morning." Piper turned her face and kissed the part of Alex's arm her head had been resting on.

She could tell by the amount of natural light filling the room that the sun had been up for a while, but she didn't hear the TV going in the background.

"Where's Nicky and Bree?" She she said it, she stretched, enjoying the sweet tension in her stiff muscles. She could always tell when she'd slept hard, her muscles sore the next morning from being in the same position all night.

"They left a bit ago to go get coffee and breakfast. They said they were tired of the breakfast downstairs. Something about fake bacon..." Alex laughed, kissing the back of Piper's neck.

"So... we're alone?" Piper asked, smiling even though she knew Alex couldn't see her.

No longer than she'd had the words out of her mouth, Alex grabbed her and rolled her over. Alex raised up on one elbow, the other arm snaking around Pipers waist, pulling her body against hers. She wrapped her fingers in Alex's hair and pulled her mouth down, sealing it with hers.

She missed her mouth. She missed her tongue.

They'd been close, so close last night. The first time they'd been alone together since they'd escaped, in the stairwell. But just as soon as she'd felt Alex's lips on her stomach, working their way down, one of the other doors in the stairway had opened. They'd jumped up, startled, and scrambled out, throwing on clothes and running down the hallway like a couple of busted teenagers, laughing and giggling all the way to the elevator. Just as they'd made it to the door, the young girl that worked the front desk came around the corner, stirring the cup of coffee that steamed in her hands. She smiled sheepishly at the two of them, her eyes pausing a second longer on Alex. The bell dinged and the elevator door slid open, and Piper walked in, leaning against the far wall. Once the door was safely closed, she smiled and shook her head. Alex looked at her questioningly.

"I used to hate that... so much"

"Hate what?" Alex was genuinely confused.

"The way she just looked at you. The way they all look at you. It drove me crazy."

"And why's that?" The amusement was evident in her voice

"Because you were mine. And it was the same way that I looked at you. Like I was in a constant state of awe because you were absolutely beautiful, so I would just sit there and wait for the next brilliant thing to fall out of your mouth." She looked down at her mouth as she said it.

"That is probably..." Alex started, her arms encircling Piper before she continued. "The sappiest thing I've ever heard you say." She laughed and Piper's cheeks flushed a light pink.

"You thank I gotta purdy mouth?" She raised her eyebrows as she exaggerated a thick, Southern draw.

Piper laughed and elbowed her playfully. "Well, if I remember correctly, you used to be able to do some pretty amazing things with it."

"Used to, huh?" she smirked, her mouth inching closer.

Piper snapped back to the present, feeling Alex's lips make their way down her throat. Piper slid her hands up the front of Alex's shirt, smoothing them across her belly.

She loved the feel of her skin, that was something she could never see herself getting tired of. She pushed herself up and moved to where she was over Alex, one knee on either side of her legs. She grabbed the hem of her shirt, getting Alex to lean up as she pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor.

Her lips were on hers in an instant, the soft but demanding feeling of her tongue against hers making her head spin. Alex pulled Piper's shirt up and off in one quick motion, then rolled to where she was over Piper, her hips resting in the V of her thighs. Piper rolled her hips up against her and felt a noise deep in her throat. She dragged her nails down Alex's back as she wrapped her legs around her.

She felt Alex shift to support herself on one arm, the other one sliding down between them. Her hand slid down, over her ribs. Her tummy. She felt it work its way down between them, then down under the band of her underwear.

Piper broke their kiss, stifling a moan into the side of Alex's neck as she slowly slid one finger into her.

In a flash, Alex was off of her, fighting to pull the covers up over them. Piper was trying to get her mouth to form a protest, confused at what was going on.

"Wh..." she started, just as the door to the room opened. Bree and Nicky walked in and paused to look over at them. Seeing their flushed faces and wild hair, it didn't take much imagination to realize what they'd walked in on.

"By all means," Nicky Laughed. "Don't stop just on account of us." Bree walked over and sat the tray of coffees on the table.

Alex let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed her eyes.

"Could you have any worse timing?"

Piper laid there and stared at the ceiling. Her heart was still pounding and she was trying to calm her breathing. She took a deep steadying breath, feeling her muscles throb. Her body had never craved someone the way it did Alex. It was a feeling that she'd completely forgotten until that day in the chapel. A feeling so alien, but so familiar.

Alex leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. "Soon..." She said, so quietly that Piper wondered if she'd actually heard it. She reached up and touched her face before she turned and climbed out of bed, walking over and claiming her coffee.

..::..

"So Charlie said that he'll be here around 11 tonight to pick us up. He said that we're gonna lay in Greensboro for a few days until he can get a few days off of work to bring us to the next stop. Apparently he knows some people there who will be able to keep an extra eye out for us, since the feds are starting to spread out more." They'd heard on the news at lunch that, though they still hadn't recieved any fruitful leads on the pursuit, they were still investigating a few anonymous tips.

Piper wondered briefly whether any of those _anonymous_ tips were from Larry. She shook her head, clearing out the ridiculous thoughts.

_Larry would never do that._ She could see him doing a lot of things out of anger, but turning her into the FBI was not one of them.

"They dont have the balls to tell the public that they have no fucking clue where we are. Thats why they cant specify a single state. They're still running around like a bunch of ants, trying to pick up a trail." Bree laughed as they crossed the street.


	7. Chapter 7

**PRE-NOTE: Sorry guys, I didn't realize until after it was posted that the last part of Chapter 6 didn't post...? Weird. So I just added it to the ****beginning of this chapter. Anyhow, I'm really loving all the comments and follows and everything. I promise I'm trying to update more frequently, but ****I've been working like crazy and had some family stuff come up. BUT I've got quite a few ideas for the story that I think will really mix it up a ****bit, that you'll hopefully enjoy.**

**Oh, AND, I know it was kind of mean to interrupt the sex scene, but you didn't think I was going to give it up that easy, did you? But I promise, if ****you stick around, I'll make it worth it. ;)**

**So, without further adieu...**

* * *

Chapter 7.

"Once we decide on a destination, I can have money waiting on us when we get there. Plenty enough to live off of. Get a place... somehow." Alex said, Piper shot her a questioning look. "What?" she laughed.

"You have money?" Piper asked, looking up in just enough time to avoid a street lamp post.

"I made a lot more money after you left. Like... a small fortune. I had plenty of extra time on my hands with nothing better to do. You didn't really think that I would give it all to the authorities... did you?" Alex raised her eyebrows.

Piper had never thought of that. Alex had been well off before she'd met her, then with the constant increases in distribution, she was never close to going without... She could only imagine where Alex had gotten in the 8 years since she'd seen her. Even through the drug habit and being busted, she knew Alex was too smart to keep all of her assets in one place. They may have found a portion of it, but they would have never found all of it.

She laughed and shook her head. "You never cease to amaze me, Miss Vause."

As they walked, Piper's eyes bounced from window display to window display taking in all the bright colors and flawless designs. She thought back to a time when she would just be able to walk around downtown, taking in all the shops and cafes with not a worry in the world. She wondered if that would ever be a reality again. A pang of sadness hit her gut as she realized that she may never be able to have another care-free day out. There would always be that fear of the wrong person seeing them. The possibility of having to go back to somewhere like Litchfield. Except this time, it would be for a much longer stay.

Piper shuddered at the thought. She'd only served a couple of months, she couldn't imagine having to spend years in a place like that. She looked over at Nicky. She was walking slightly ahead of her, talking to Alex. She'd already served what, two years? How many did she have left? How did people cope with being caged for that long?

And Bree? Piper still hadn't found out what she had been doing time for. She could always just ask her, but would that be rude? She had know what several of the others were in for, but that was because they'd volunteered that information. She still wasn't completely sure what the standard protocol was when it came to talking about charges and sentences and the like.

She mentally shrugged. Not like it mattered now, anyway. These three women were going to be the only consistent faces in her life for... what? For months? Years? Forever? She wasn't exactly sure of the implications, but she knew that her life would never be the same. And maybe that wasn't such a bad thing... Granted, there were certain comforts of the normal white picket fence lifestyle that had and would always appeal to her. But if there was anyone that she would actually consider 'free-falling' through her life with, it was Alex. It had felt like forever since she'd felt anything close to an adventure. Some things that used to be so commonplace in her life back then, looked so extraordinary and fantastic to the person that she'd become. It'd been a while since she'd had a story to tell.

Life after Alex had just become... bland.

Piper smiled to herself. She was so far off in thought, she didn't hear Alex say her name. She jumped when Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her down one of the alleys that branched off from the main street.

"Alex? What's wrong?" she asked, seeing the look that flashed across Alex's face.

"Jesus, Piper. Did you not hear anything we've said for the past 4 blocks?" She continued to lead Alex down the alley, checking over her shoulder as they rounded a corner. "Someone's following us."

Piper stopped dead in her tracks, "What?!"

There were a million and a half things that flooded Piper's mind in that exact moment. Unfortunately, she could make sense of none of them.

"Nicky noticed him first, then when she realized that she wasn't just being paranoid, she told me. We decided we would split off in two directions. They ducked down an alley a little ways back, but I can't tell which way he went."

Piper felt like her heart stopped. She leaned over, putting her hands on her knees. Her hair fell around her face in a welcoming curtain.  
"Oooh, fuck." She said through clenched teeth. Alex stopped and turned.

"What?" Alex questioned, her eyes darting about, formulating.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick." She took a deep steadying breath, but still felt her throat tighten is response.

"Piper, seriously. We don't have time for theatrics." She was pacing now, something Piper had only seen her do a few times before.

"Excuse me?" Piper raised up slowly, pushing her hair out of her face.

"You heard me. We don't have time for theatrics. Whether you like it or not, Piper, this is our life now. This may be the first time we're dealing with this, but I can promise you that it wont be the last. So you can either sit here and have your little freak out while theres someone looking for us. Or you can keep your shit together long enough for us to get back to the room and back to Nicky and Bree, so we can get the hell out of here." They stood, facing each other, eyes locked.

Piper could feel the sting in her eyes as her reality was finally setting in, but she pushed those feelings back. She was through with being the victim. It was about time she took her fate into her own hands. The look in Alex's eyes gave her whatever encouragement she was in need of. She took a deep breath. This one didn't shake like the last.  
"Then what are we waiting for?"

One side of Alex's mouth twitched into a grin and they both turned, getting a running start further down the alley and away from all the shops. Piper was thankful that she'd taken up running while she was serving her time. She could feel the familiar burn in her calves and it spurred her on. They were headed further away from the hotel, but she knew that they'd want to make a wide path back. Not wanting to be seen and followed directly back to the safety of their room.

Then another thought crossed her mind. Who was this man? Was it just some random man who'd seen them and taken interest? Piper remembered one day when she'd went shopping downtown with Polly. Polly had mentioned that she kept seeing the same man in every store they went in. Once she brought it to Pipers attention, it seemed like it was all the more obvious. every time they'd turn a corner, there he was. It went on for well over an hour before it finally just stopped. They didn't see him again after that. Polly had joked that maybe he thought they were following him. That he finally just got too weirded out and decided to leave, but it didn't seem to help the uneasy feeling piper had in her gut.

The same feeling she was fighting with at the current moment.

Had the feds found them? Had someone on the street recognized them and called them in? Did Larry give her up?

Her feet pounded the pavement just as quickly as her heart pounded in her chest. She turned to see that she'd pulled ahead of Alex by a few yards, so she slowed. Even with her long legs, she knew Alex never really cared for running. But Piper, on the other hand, once she started running, she didn't want to stop. She felt like she could run for days. They'd been so closed up and shut off from everything, that this was the first time she'd gotten to run since the night they got out. Even under the circumstances, it was nice to feel the familiar rush in her blood.

After about 20 minutes of running, Piper started to notice the occasional building that she'd seen before. A road name that was too familiar. And with a few more blocks, she knew exactly in which direction she needed to head in order to get them back to the room. As they neared the hotel, they started to slow, making note of every person they passed. Every car that drove by.

They glanced over each others shoulders in perfect unison. Once again, Piper had the thought that if she had to go through this with anyone, she and Alex were the perfect match for it. They never had to speak their intentions, each of them knew exactly when to lead and when to follow. It was something they always shared, but never had it worked in their favor as it did now. They moved together like a well choreographed dance.

As they entered the rear parking lot, their senses were on high alert. Eyes wide, moving quickly, but consciously. They entered in through the back door. It brought them into the hallway, directly across from the stairwell they'd snuck into the night before.

Alex walked in first, Piper almost smashing into her as she stopped. She looked around her and saw the young front desk girl standing directly in front of them, blocking their path. She couldn't have been more than 22 or 23, brown hair that probably would've hit her mid back had the loose curls not been tied up in a hair band at the base of her neck. She stood there, that same expression on her face as had been the night before.

Piper would've just walked around her had she not seen the color drain from Alex's cheeks as it had when the young girl opened her mouth.

"You're Alex... Vause, right?"


End file.
